Yes, there are the cliched “I know Kung Fu” training scenes, but Polo never seems to learn, and mostly exists to show how badass everyone else is. He provides some Italian ingenuity to Khan’s army, but only out of desperation.

It also puts American audiences into a period — and a place — they probably know little about. Though it compresses a timeline into a narrower window — having Polo witness events that happened without him — the show is at least inspired by the historic record.

In particular, there’s the story of the Song Dynasty, the last Chinese holdouts to the Golden Horde. It really was ruled by chancellor Jia Sidao (the excellent Chin Han), whose sister, Mei Lin, was the favored concubine to the emperor. Was she naked quite so much? Quibbles!

Did moments of court intrigue suddenly devolve into fights out of a Jackie Chan movie? Nitpicking!

Netflix won’t say how many people have watched “Marco Polo,” but they just renewed it for a second season, which means enough viewers bucked the critics to make it worthwhile.

A little less Polo, a little more Khan, and I’m on board.

Is “Marco Polo” the best show you’re not watching? Probably not — but what a wonderful era for television we live in when something this good doesn’t even rank.